The goal of our training program is to prepare clinical investigators and basic medical scientists for productive, independent investigative careers in the area of renal disease. This would require a minimum of 2 years exposure to intensive laboratory experience or clinical research working closely with one of the program faculty. Candidates must be MDs who have completed an approved Internal Medicine Residency or PhDs in a biomedical field. Many of the fundamental advances in the field of Nephrology are as a result of laboratory-based research being increasingly transferred to clinical practice. Accordingly, our training program will emphasize both laboratory-based and clinical/translation research in the physiology and pathophysiology of the kidney. The quality and the dedicated effort of the program faculty are primary factors assuring success of the research training. Consequently, the program faculty is limited to investigators with active, on going funded laboratory-based or clinical/translation research programs with documented training records who can provide hands-on research experience for trainees. The program faculty represents a closely-knit interacting multidisciplinary faculty from the departments of Medicine, Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Biochemistry, Geriatrics and Physiology and includes 6 MDs, 6 PhDs, 2 MD/PhDs, and 2 MD/MPHs. While each individual member conducts his specific-funded program in his own right, most of the program faculty interact with each other and meet on a regular basis to discuss respective research efforts as well as explore collaborative projects. Such inter-laboratory cooperation is very useful for expanding the outlook of research fellows who become familiar with a wider variety of methods and multidisciplinary strategic approaches to the solution of scientific problems. The trainees have the option of obtaining an MPH degree or are expected to participate in regularly scheduled activities sponsored by the School of Public Health and other departments targeted toward the scientific method and statistical analysis;attend conferences sponsored by Medicine, Physiology and Biochemistry;and attend the weekly research conference held as a part of Program Project.